Traditionally, shoes have permanent vamps (uppers) which attach to the midsole of the shoe. If any part of the vamp or heel strap element becomes damaged, a traditional shoe becomes essentially unusable. Further, traditional shoes do not allow a user to move and adjust straps to create a custom fit, meaning the shoe may not fit the foot properly or comfortably.
The prior art does disclose a number of prior attempts at creating a shoe system having interchangeable uppers, for instance U.S. Pat. No. 7,877,903 (Barteet) and U.S. Pat. No. 8,001,664 (Pearce).